TOP STORIES OF 2012: Flyover opens after three years of work

Published: Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 04:21 PM.

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After three years of rerouting, slowed traffic and construction, the flyover ramp at State Road 85 and State Road 123 opened in late September.

Motorists say it was worth the wait.

“It’s a lot better than before,” said Cheryl Johnson of Crestview, who commutes from her home to Fort Walton Beach. “There were a lot of people you would see on a daily basis with that look on their face that said, ‘If I could just run everybody over, I’d be OK.’ Now, they aren’t angry. It’s made a big difference.”

The $25.6 million project was funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The work also included elevated lanes and new entrances and exits at Northwest Florida Regional Airport, and a six-lane SR 85 from General Bond Boulevard to the airport.

Construction began in August 2009 and concluded this month after workers put finishing touches on the massive project.

“We had a lot of extensive work, but the project stayed on course pretty much throughout the entire process,” said Ian Satter, district spokesman for Florida Department of Transportation.

It was the largest and most complex project in the area in several years, according to the DOT.

The flyover’s opening was set for August, but was delayed because of frequent rain and Hurricane Isaac. Then, its mid-September opening was delayed for several days because of a broken crane.

“You could see it and it was so pretty right there, but there I was waiting in line,” Johnson said of the delays. “It was frustrating, but you have to look at it in the long run. It’s good now.”

The stretch of SR 85 30,000 vehicles a day traveling from Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Valparaiso, Crestview and north Okaloosa, according to the DOT.

Okaloosa County Administrator Jim Curry said effort to get a flyover went on for years.

“That area really had become a dangerous intersection,” Curry said. “Several years ago there were several fatalities, so it was much needed for safety.”

As a daily commuter, Johnson said each trip to work had her on edge.

“I was always looking around thinking, ‘If I turn here, will someone turn in front or me or try to run me over? Will I veer off the road?’ ” Johnson said. “Now, it’s not so nerve-wracking.”

Curry said the reaction from the public has been positive and that the flyover is an asset.

“It’s great not to have to sit there and try to channel through a light,” he said. “In terms of our entrance into the airport, it helps facilitate traffic in and out of airport better. I think with its completion people realized it’s pretty intricate.”

County Airports Director Greg Donovan said the opening signifies a positive change for growing Okaloosa County.

“The project represents true progress for the community and Northwest Florida Regional Airport,” Donovan said in an email. “Not only does the improved transportation infrastructure make us more accessible, it also supports continued economic development in Okaloosa County and the expanding mission of Eglin Air Force Base. The Florida Department of Transportation has done a tremendous job for the people of our community.”

For Nancy Moxcey, the completion means time saved driving between Crestview and Fort Walton Beach.

“There’s no stall in traffic; it just flows and that gets me home quicker,” Moxcey said. “I know it was three years of construction, but that’s just a fact of life that you have to wait.”

Satter said the DOT will let motorists travel without interruption before any new projects begin.

“Traffic is moving much more smoothly,” Satter. “I think the public is enjoying the ride.”

After three years of rerouting, slowed traffic and construction, the flyover ramp at State Road 85 and State Road 123 opened in late September.

Motorists say it was worth the wait.

“It’s a lot better than before,” said Cheryl Johnson of Crestview, who commutes from her home to Fort Walton Beach. “There were a lot of people you would see on a daily basis with that look on their face that said, ‘If I could just run everybody over, I’d be OK.’ Now, they aren’t angry. It’s made a big difference.”

The $25.6 million project was funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The work also included elevated lanes and new entrances and exits at Northwest Florida Regional Airport, and a six-lane SR 85 from General Bond Boulevard to the airport.

Construction began in August 2009 and concluded this month after workers put finishing touches on the massive project.

“We had a lot of extensive work, but the project stayed on course pretty much throughout the entire process,” said Ian Satter, district spokesman for Florida Department of Transportation.

It was the largest and most complex project in the area in several years, according to the DOT.

The flyover’s opening was set for August, but was delayed because of frequent rain and Hurricane Isaac. Then, its mid-September opening was delayed for several days because of a broken crane.

“You could see it and it was so pretty right there, but there I was waiting in line,” Johnson said of the delays. “It was frustrating, but you have to look at it in the long run. It’s good now.”

The stretch of SR 85 30,000 vehicles a day traveling from Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Valparaiso, Crestview and north Okaloosa, according to the DOT.

Okaloosa County Administrator Jim Curry said effort to get a flyover went on for years.

“That area really had become a dangerous intersection,” Curry said. “Several years ago there were several fatalities, so it was much needed for safety.”

As a daily commuter, Johnson said each trip to work had her on edge.

“I was always looking around thinking, ‘If I turn here, will someone turn in front or me or try to run me over? Will I veer off the road?’ ” Johnson said. “Now, it’s not so nerve-wracking.”

Curry said the reaction from the public has been positive and that the flyover is an asset.

“It’s great not to have to sit there and try to channel through a light,” he said. “In terms of our entrance into the airport, it helps facilitate traffic in and out of airport better. I think with its completion people realized it’s pretty intricate.”

County Airports Director Greg Donovan said the opening signifies a positive change for growing Okaloosa County.

“The project represents true progress for the community and Northwest Florida Regional Airport,” Donovan said in an email. “Not only does the improved transportation infrastructure make us more accessible, it also supports continued economic development in Okaloosa County and the expanding mission of Eglin Air Force Base. The Florida Department of Transportation has done a tremendous job for the people of our community.”

For Nancy Moxcey, the completion means time saved driving between Crestview and Fort Walton Beach.

“There’s no stall in traffic; it just flows and that gets me home quicker,” Moxcey said. “I know it was three years of construction, but that’s just a fact of life that you have to wait.”

Satter said the DOT will let motorists travel without interruption before any new projects begin.

“Traffic is moving much more smoothly,” Satter. “I think the public is enjoying the ride.”